093_HB0371ham001
LRB093 06894 NHT 11901 a
1 AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 371
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend House Bill 371 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
4 "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5 Section 21-5b as follows:
6 (105 ILCS 5/21-5b)
7 Sec. 21-5b. Alternative certification. The State Board
8 of Education, in consultation with the State Teacher
9 Certification Board, shall establish and implement an
10 alternative certification program under which persons who
11 meet the requirements of and successfully complete the
12 program established by this Section shall be issued an
13 alternative teaching certificate for teaching in the schools.
14 The program shall be limited to not more than 500 260 new
15 participants during each year that the program is in effect.
16 The State Board of Education, in cooperation with a
17 partnership formed with a university that offers 4-year
18 baccalaureate and masters degree programs and that is a
19 recognized institution as defined in Section 21-21 and one or
20 more not-for-profit organizations in the State which support
21 excellence in teaching, shall within 30 days after submission
22 by the partnership approve a course of study developed by the
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1 partnership that persons in the program must successfully
2 complete in order to satisfy one criterion for issuance of an
3 alternative certificate under this Section. The Alternative
4 Teacher Certification program course of study must include
5 the current content and skills contained in the university's
6 current courses for State certification which have been
7 approved by the State Board of Education, in consultation
8 with the State Teacher Certification Board, as the
9 requirement for State teacher certification.
10 The alternative certification program established under
11 this Section shall be known as the Alternative Teacher
12 Certification program. The Alternative Teacher Certification
13 Program shall be offered by the submitting partnership and
14 may be offered in conjunction with one or more not-for-profit
15 organizations in the State which support excellence in
16 teaching. The program shall be comprised of the following 3
17 phases: (a) the first phase is the course of study offered on
18 an intensive basis in education theory, instructional
19 methods, and practice teaching; (b) the second phase is the
20 person's assignment to a full-time teaching position for one
21 school year; and (c) the third phase is a comprehensive
22 assessment of the person's teaching performance by school
23 officials and the partnership participants and a
24 recommendation by the partner institution of higher education
25 to the State Board of Education that the person be issued a
26 standard alternative teaching certificate. Successful
27 completion of the Alternative Teacher Certification program
28 shall be deemed to satisfy any other practice or student
29 teaching and subject matter requirements established by law.
30 A provisional alternative teaching certificate, valid for
31 one year of teaching in the common schools and not renewable,
32 shall be issued under this Section 21-5b to persons who at
33 the time of applying for the provisional alternative teaching
34 certificate under this Section:
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1 (1) have graduated from an accredited college or
2 university with a bachelor's degree;
3 (2) have successfully completed the first phase of
4 the Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided
5 in this Section;
6 (3) have passed the tests of basic skills and
7 subject matter knowledge required by Section 21-1a; and
8 (4) have been employed for a period of at least 5
9 years in an area requiring application of the
10 individual's education; however, this requirement does
11 not apply with respect to a provisional alternative
12 teaching certificate for teaching in schools situated in
13 a school district that is located in a city having a
14 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
15 A person possessing a provisional alternative certificate
16 under this Section shall be treated as a regularly certified
17 teacher for purposes of compensation, benefits, and other
18 terms and conditions of employment afforded teachers in the
19 school who are members of a bargaining unit represented by an
20 exclusive bargaining representative, if any.
21 Until February 15, 2000, a standard alternative teaching
22 certificate, valid for 4 years for teaching in the schools
23 and renewable as provided in Section 21-14, shall be issued
24 under this Section 21-5b to persons who first complete the
25 requirements for the provisional alternative teaching
26 certificate and who at the time of applying for a standard
27 alternative teaching certificate under this Section have
28 successfully completed the second and third phases of the
29 Alternative Teacher Certification program as provided in this
30 Section. Alternatively, beginning February 15, 2000, at the
31 end of the 4-year validity period, persons who were issued a
32 standard alternative teaching certificate shall be eligible,
33 on the same basis as holders of an Initial Teaching
34 Certificate issued under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of
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1 this Code, to apply for a Standard Teaching Certificate,
2 provided they meet the requirements of subsection (c) of
3 Section 21-2 of this Code and further provided that a person
4 who does not apply for and receive a Standard Teaching
5 Certificate shall be able to teach only in schools situated
6 in a school district that is located in a city having a
7 population in excess of 500,000 inhabitants.
8 Beginning February 15, 2000, persons who have completed
9 the requirements for a standard alternative teaching
10 certificate under this Section shall be issued an Initial
11 Alternative Teaching Certificate valid for 4 years of
12 teaching and not renewable. At the end of the 4-year
13 validity period, these persons shall be eligible, on the same
14 basis as holders of an Initial Teaching Certificate issued
15 under subsection (b) of Section 21-2 of this Code, to apply
16 for a Standard Teaching Certificate, provided they meet the
17 requirements of subsection (c) of Section 21-2.
18 This alternative certification program shall be
19 implemented so that the first provisional alternative
20 teaching certificates issued under this Section are effective
21 upon the commencement of the 1997-1998 academic year and the
22 first standard alternative teaching certificates issued under
23 this Section are effective upon the commencement of the
24 1998-1999 academic year.
25 The State Board of Education, in cooperation with the
26 partnership establishing the Alternative Teacher
27 Certification program, shall adopt rules and regulations that
28 are consistent with this Section and that the State Board of
29 Education deems necessary to establish and implement the
30 program.
31 (Source: P.A. 91-609, eff. 1-1-00.)
32 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on
33 July 1, 2003.".